Continuing its mission to drive innovation and serve the wider Lebanese community, LAU welcomed 200 cadets and 12 of their commanding and training officers from the Lebanese Military Academy (LMA) to its Byblos campus on October 4, 2025, for a full-day AI Bootcamp. The initiative, the second phase of LAU’s collaboration with the LMA, built on the success of the first introductory AI workshop held at the Military Academy in July 2025.

The bootcamp featured an intensive, hands-on program designed by LAU faculty from across disciplines to equip the cadets with practical knowledge of AI technologies and their applications in defense, education, healthcare, and security. Topics ranged from cybersecurity and cyber warfare to AI ethics and governance, prompt engineering with ChatGPT, smart learning tools, AI in robotics and military applications, and live demonstrations in engineering and medical simulation labs.

Opening the event, General Fadi Bou Haidar, commander of the LMA, praised LAU for what he described as a “pioneering initiative to collaborate with the Lebanese Army.” He expressed his gratitude to LAU for organizing the event and said that he hoped the collaboration would continue to expand in the future.

The cadets participated in seven sessions led by LAU experts. These included presentations by Assistant Professor of Computer Science Khalil Mershad on cybersecurity and cyber warfare, Associate Professor of Biochemistry Joseph Stephan on AI ethics and governance in security contexts, Assistant Professor of Management Samar Aad on prompt engineering with ChatGPT, Assistant Provost for Educational Resources and Innovation Jordan Srour on AI-powered learning tools, and Assistant Professor Charbel Tawk on AI, robotics, and the military.

The sessions also featured team-led demonstrations at the Clinical Simulation Center and Anatomy Academy by clinical assistant professor Wael Salame, Senior Anatomy, Microbiology & Research Lab Supervisor Pamela Abou Khalil, Lead Clinical Simulation Center Supervisor Elias Harb, in addition to a tour of the university’s engineering labs, facilitated by Nicole Wehbe, principal engineering lab supervisor.

For Dr. Aad, the bootcamp was more than just an academic endeavor. What began as a personal invitation from Lieutenant Colonel Charbel El Khoury to deliver a session at the Military Academy soon grew into one of the most rewarding initiatives of her career, she said. “LAU’s leadership immediately embraced the idea, transforming it into a university-wide collaboration.”

Dr. Aad added that the AI Bootcamp united faculty, students, and cadets in a shared spirit of learning and national service, leaving a lasting impact on everyone involved and paving the way for future collaborations that strengthen the bond between academia and the Lebanese army.

At the closing ceremony, Colonel George Frayfer, LMA training department commander, thanked LAU, the organizing team, and the participating professors for their commitment and expertise. He noted that the bootcamp had left “a lasting impact on our cadets.”

Subsequently, Professor and Assistant Provost for Strategic Planning and Academic Initiatives and Partnerships Joe Tekli reflected on the significance of this initiative.

He explained that this collaboration, initiated by Dr. Aad and Colonel El Khoury, and spearheaded by the Provost’s Office with participation from the schools of engineering, medicine, sciences and business, enables LAU to serve the Lebanese military “as part of its mission to advance innovation, social impact, and knowledge exchange with partner institutions.”

The event showcased strong student engagement. Opening and closing remarks were delivered by fifth-year engineering students Elian Rezk and Charbel Bateh, representing the LAU IEEE Student Chapter and the School of Engineering Club, respectively, with 15 additional student volunteers contributing to the event’s smooth execution.